Fallacy
by stophiroth
Summary: The world has never been entirely black and white, but she had always told herself that she and 'they' were different: she was good, they were evil. But when it all comes crashing down and darkness sets in, she finally sees her life in a new light.
1. Kiss The Sky Goodbye

**My long-awaited ninjaverse story is here! :D -cheers- I may be smiling now but not for long. Yes, Crisis will receive updates as well, and I apologize to those looking forward to those updates but this plot has been burning a hole in my mind forever. **

**This story is not for children, contains manga spoilers, coarse language, violence (including character deaths), explicit sexuality and plenty of angst. I do not rate my stories M without good reason, and I can assure you that this story is very much an M tale.**

**ItaSaku is our main header here, but it won't be moving quickly. There's a lot of plot that needs to get developed before anything of the sort can happen—and just so we know, I have changed the manga plot a bit, but if you haven't read 350+, you're in for a rude and confusing awakening.**

/edit: fixed the poem at the top: they are now lyrics.

**Moving on: **_**I do not own Naruto, I do not make money by writing this and if it was owned by me, there'd be a lot more character 'action', if you know what I mean. **_

* * *

**Chapter One: **

_K_iss the _S_ky _G_oodbye

* * *

_Baby, save me_,__

Tell me that you wanna take me  
_  
To the place where we kissed the sky_  
_  
Rain by day, shoot stars by night  
_

_

* * *

_

In the dead of night, four blocks away from the Hokage tower and a mere half from the Konogakure hospital, a young girl lay sleeping curled up against her pillow, breath fanning against the sheets and disturbing chin-length pink locks as she dreamt about her possible future, ones where she would be married to a gorgeous man and be a strong, powerful kunoichi, commanding attention with a single step into a room and never once having to look back for fear that she had screwed up. She would be beautiful and legendary, no longer standing in the shadows of her team mates… Well, the ones that were left. Sasuke would never care, no matter how they tried to bring him back.

Not like team seven hadn't tried to bring him back… Time after time he had slipped their grasp, and the memories lingered on the edge of her subconscious as her mind forcibly steered away from the crippling night terrors for the first time in ages. It was hard on all of them, she knew, but none more so than her blond bestie—not the loudmouthed Ino, but the more obnoxious Naruto. Over time they had grown closer (not romantically, of course), and oftentimes the young kunoichi would have to forcibly eject him from her small, plain apartment.

Speaking of the jinchuuriki, why had his voice made a sudden appearance into her dream? Pale brows furrowed and creased as she stirred to the sound, eyes not wanting to open and believe that the real world actually existed around her, but then the tapping began, like a bird pecking the glass of her window. _Tap_… _tap_…_ tap_… The sound was rhythmic and almost soothing, but when the delicious fog of her dream faded and the sound didn't, she couldn't help but groan.

"Sakura-chan?"

The voice was slightly distorted from the glass, but she recognized it regardless. Verdant eyes were slowly revealed as she cracked open sleep-heavy eyes, glaring at the man sitting on her windowsill.

Contrary to popular belief, Naruto was not a terrible ninja—far from it. He just tended to act that way to throw off the spotlight, saving his skills as a trump card in battle. It was something she was used to, and the kunoichi was hardly surprised that he cracked open her window and slipped inside with a grin when she beckoned to him and curled back up to sleep.

"'s matter, Naruto…?" Sakura yawned, eyes already closed as said friend sat on the bed next to her and picked at a pillow, grin fading at the question.

"I… Well, I know it sounds silly, Sakura-chan, but I… had a nightmare."

The medic opened one eye and creased her brow. It wasn't as if he hadn't had many nightmares before, but she supposed that since he went his entire life without having a single person to listen to his fears and worries she would at least do this for him. Besides, the kid looked freaked—he was pale and slightly sweaty, dark circles beneath his normally bright eyes.

"Wanna tell me about it?" Sakura asked him, gesturing for him to come closer to her. "I've got all night to listen, and then you can stay after."

He nodded, flopping down and pulling her close, as if she were a comfort object, resting his chin on top of her head. Sakura didn't thing anything of this contact, really—she never did, so long as they weren't in public—but was somewhat worried by how quiet and stiff he was. Normally he'd be making tons of perverted jokes and she would inevitably kick him out, but he was silent for a very long time before he opened his mouth again.

"The dream didn't start all bad… It was kinda in the future, and I was on my way to becoming Hokage… You were ANBU, Sakura-chan, and you looked _hot_…" Naruto grinned before wincing at the sharp poke she delivered to his belly, rubbing the spot briefly before picking up again. "And we were in Ichiraku, having some ramen. Hinata was there with me, and we were like… a couple… but then when she went to give me another bite of ramen the bowl shook. I felt the air rumble, too, and clouds started to gather, then it rained…

"But the rain actually _hurt_. It was like acid, and no one could stop it… People were screaming and then there was a smashing sound, and the gates were thrown open to let in a torrent of enemy nin… Kiri, Oto and Iwa nin, actually… Leading them all was Akatsuki," his voice shook slightly as he took a deep breath, closing his eyes. "And there was a guy in an orange mask, shaped like a swirl… He said that this was his revenge, and all he needed now was me.

"So we fought. You seemed really… really disappointed. You kept yelling at one of them that I couldn't see because the masked guy—Madara? I think that's his name—kept coming at me, and I couldn't focus on more than one thing. The guy you were supposed to be fighting said something to you that made you stop in your tracks and then they used Chidori…"

"Chidori, huh? Sounds like Sasuke-kun." Sakura's voice was soft, almost saddened by the dream that her best friend had, but she let him continue.

Naruto shifted slightly and shook his head. "It couldn't have been… 'cause the launched the Chidori at _me_. It went right through my chest… Then the masked guy grabbed me and we disappeared. I remember you screaming that this couldn't be happening, that there was no way they took me…"

She nodded, pulling him close when it looked like he was about to cry. "Naruto, it's okay… You know that was only a dream, right?"

"But it felt so real, Sakura-chan, and I—"

"_Naruto_." The blonde scowled at the firmness in her voice. "It was a dream… No one's going to attack Konoha head-on, and even if they did, it's not like Sasuke could ever beat you, right?"

"Yeah, you're right, Sakura-chan," he grinned, and snuggled into her bed again, seemingly relieved. "I could take that teme any day."

She smiled sleepily. "Glad you think so… Now lemme sleep, would you? Shishou'll kill me if I'm late again."

"Well you know, Sakura-chan, we _are_ in bed together and if you need an excuse… Ouch!"

The sound of cracking knuckles was heard in the dark, which was almost as loud as the sound of a smirk pulling across her pretty face. "Goodnight, Naruto."

"…'night, Sakura-chan," was his grumbled reply before he began to snore.

* * *

By the time she had woken, showered, dried and brushed her hair, healed the bruise on her knee from where she had hit it while manoeuvring out of bed, Naruto had still been asleep. She supposed she'd let him sleep for a while before training and went to make breakfast, do some laundry, put some milk out for the cat, read over her medical journals twenty thousand times and then lose track of time, but that was mostly because of the deafening snores from the other room that let the kunoichi know that yes, the dobe was still very much asleep. Now, Sakura was usually a punctual girl but being woken by a rambunctious blonde in the dead of night did made her rather tired, and it didn't take long for her to conk out over her books.

Much to Naruto's amusement after he woke (and Sakura's chagrin, we can't forget that) she was napping like the cat she had such a love for and was now late. The blonde got dressed and had rapped her on the head, causing the roseate to start and swing her fist at the Kyuubi container, breaking his nose. She griped that he shouldn't have woken her like that and now they'd be even later because she had to heal his nose…

Well, she had certainly been right about that much: they were so late that _Kakashi_ had arrived before them, nose stuck in a pervy book, leaning on a post as if he had been waiting for ages. Sai, on the other hand, was very much appreciating the time of silence and was drawing on a scroll until Naruto took it upon himself to toss a kunai and knock over the artist's ink pot, chortling to himself as if it was the funniest thing in the world.

Sakura didn't even bother to smack him upside the head: she was too tired. Apparently that much was obvious.

"Sakura, Naruto… You're late."

Shoulders slumped and grins widened respectively, and she muttered something about Naruto breaking into her house the previous night, but their ex-sensei merely shook his head with a casual eye-crinkle.

"Ah, Kakashi-sensei, like you actually got here on time anyway. You never do." Naruto chuckled to himself again, rubbing his nose. "Besides, Sakura-chan here broke my nose and we needed some time to fix it."

"It's too bad she can't fix other things, right Dickless?"

Said medic couldn't help but snort as she sat down to do her stretches, though her had cheeks flared a hot pink that reached the roots of her hair. The boys' 'playful' (read: loud, annoying and rather violent) banter was pushed from her mind when Kakashi sat next to her, book cracked open once again so that he could follow the words on the page.

"Porn melts your mind, you know, sensei."

"I'm not your sensei anymore, Sakura, and I think I can compensate," he replied loftily, flicking a page and crossing the other arm behind his head. She scowled.

"You act like you're all that, but I betcha your Sharingan's all messed up because of all that flaming content. Why the hell do you read that stuff, anyway?"

"It's art." Kakashi ignored her snort, and simply shrugged. "Don't knock it 'til you try it, Sakura-chaaaan."

Already pink cheeks deepened to red at the honorific, something she hated with a passion. "Don't call me that, you old geezer."

A look of mock offence crossed his mostly covered face, and she could see the pout right through the dark fabric of his mask. "Ouch, Sakura. That hurts, you know."

"You know what else hurts?"

"Mm… No."

"Being ignored for literary porn." Sakura punctuated the statement with a jab to his ribs, teasing lightly as she leaned over for a stretch.

"I'm not ignoring you."

"You're as responsive as a brick wall," she said dryly, rolling her eyes.

"I've had many a conversation with a wall, and they were quite lovely, thanks," he retorted, pressing a hand to her back to make her sink lower and whine at the added pressure to her muscles. Damn that man.

"That's because you're nuts..." Sakura pouted, catching her foot and bending her back fully to stretch the muscles. She hardly noticed his gaze, but quirked a brow. "What? Is my form wrong?"

He shook his head, eye creasing again to show he was smiling. "No, it's perfect."

The kunoichi beamed and switched sides. "Shouldn't you be warming up?"

"Nah. Y'see, on the way here I had to help this kid get his cat down from a tree, and that took amazing amounts of skill and really did exert me quite a bit…"

A hushed note of laughter left her lips. "You're an awful liar, sensei."

"I am not." Kakashi huffed teasingly and leaned to the side, effectively dodging a shuriken that Naruto had sent flying in his direction. Sakura sighed.

"What do you want, Sunshine?"

'Sunshine' pouted at the tone of her voice, and crossed his arms. "Don't call me that, Sakura-chan, it makes me sound like a gay stripper or something."

"The day you stop adding 'chan' to my name is when I'll call you by yours." Sakura said sweetly. "Now what do you want?"

"It's time to train! You and perv over there have been sitting and talking for _ages_. It's really annoying, you know."

She heard Kakashi's eyes roll rather than saw them as she did the same, rising from the dusty ground and stretching her arms above her head. "Alright, we'll get started. Tag-teams today?"

Naruto groaned. "But Sakura-chaaaan, you guys always win."

"That's because you and Sai never seem to work together," came the airy reply from the silver-haired man, and Sai's lips quirked into a slight smile as the blonde pouted. "Come on now, we'll go easy on you and everything."

"No Sharingan? No freaky strength?"

"…Now that's hardly fair, Naruto." Sakura nodded in agreement. "Sakura'll only use a bit of chakra, and I'll keep Sharingan to a minimum. Deal?"

The Jinchuuriki paused for a moment, and then nodded. "Alright, deal."

"Good." Another casual eye crinkle. "Now you two had better get running."

"…Why?"

Sakura's knuckles cracked ominously as she smirked. "Because I've got a few new moves I've been just _dying_ to try."

* * *

Several hours and many broken bones, concussions, two dislocations and a poked eye later, Sakura and her dirty, blood-splattered boys are sitting in Ichiraku for dinner, while said medic is a makeshift triage. Of course the more she works the hungrier she gets, and Naruto's perpetual whining about his bloodshot eye isn't exactly helping the situation.

"Ouch, Sakura-chan! That hurts!" The blonde whined for the millionth time, prompting a smack upside the head that only made him whine more.

"Shut up, Naruto. You got poked in the _eye_." Sakura huffed. "That hit shouldn't have even happened."

"But it _did_, and it hurts," he retorted, swatting her hand away so he could devour his ramen. The medic rolled her eyes irritably and started on her own, ignoring Kakashi's pat on the head.

"Now, let's stop fighting, children. There's no reason: we're all mature ninja here." The Copy-nin crinkled his eye casually, ignoring both of their gripes as he drank some tea (through the mask, of course, because there was no way in hell he was letting them see his face yet). "Sometimes I don't know why I bother with you two. Will you ever grow up?"

"Probably not, Kakashi-senpai," said a voice from outside, the tone lazy. "They've always been so troublesome."

"Ahh, Shikamaru, they were more so when they were younger."

The lazy ninja shrugged and rubbed his shoulder. "Yeah, I know."

"Hey!" Sakura swatted at her ex-sensei. "I may have been loud and annoying, but I wasn't _troublesome_."

"Says you." Kakashi chortled, ducking to avoid another punch that probably would have fractured something.

"Cut it out, Sakura. I'm supposed to tell you something," the lazy ninja drawled, ignoring Naruto's scowl of disappointment and Sakura's look of interest. "You're supposed to go see Tsunade-sama. You have a mission or something."

"Oh?" The kunoichi instantly brightened, paid for her mostly uneaten ramen, and bounced off the seat. "What kinda mission."

"Hell if I know. I wasn't paying attention."

"And you say I'm troublesome." The medic rolled her eyes and strolled past him, punching his arm on the way out. "Thanks, Shikamaru!"

"Yeah, yeah… you're welcome," he replied, mumbling, as he took Sakura's vacated seat.

There was silence for a few minutes before Kakashi stood, yawned, and drained the rest of his tea. "Well, I think I'm gonna head off for the night. Later, 'gators."

And so he was gone in a puff of smoke, leaving Naruto to stare blankly at the spot where his senpai had been a moment ago. "Why does he always leave when Sakura-chan does?"

"Maybe they're getting together and having hot, sweaty sex on her kitchen table," came the sarcastic reply.

Naruto wore a look of scandalized horror. "Shikamaru, ew! That's _Sakura-chan_ and _Kakashi-sensei _you're talking about!"

The dark-haired man shrugged. "I'm just stating possibilities."

"I think Ino's finally rubbing off on you."

"…Shut up, Naruto."

* * *

By the time Sakura arrived at the office it was about ten o'clock at night, having been stopped by various people who needed things delivered to the buxom, blonde Hokage, who seemed to be having a bit of an issue sorting through her paperwork as it was and wouldn't let anyone in her office without the treat of impending doom over their heads.

Sakura, of course, being the Hokage's apprentice, was apparently immune to these things and would be perfectly fine knocking on the door with her arms full of papers after her shishou told her she could come in.

The look she received was one she had been expecting, but that didn't help the fact that she grimaced at it.

"Sakura, what the hell. I told Shikamaru to just get you and bring you up here, and you just bring me _more paperwork_?"

Her shishou sounded rather distressed, and the young kunoichi grimaced as she put the scrolls and files down on the one blank space on the desk, trying to ignore the fact that the blonde looked as if she was going to tear her pink-haired head off.

"I'm sorry, shishou… I tried to avoid it, but everyone's too scared to bring it in themselves," she replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "But I was told I have a mission, so I had to come anyway, and yeah…"

"Oh, right. That." Tsunade leaned back in her chair with a sigh, rubbing her eyes before picking up a scroll and tossing it at the younger woman, who caught it effortlessly. "A-ranked, solo, medical mission. Apparently some Fire Lord's having some serious issues with his health and needed a medic… He requested you by name."

Sakura blinked. "Really?"

"Yes, really," she replied, a slight smile pulling on her tired features. "You are getting pretty famous, Sakura."

The medic reddened, and nodded sheepishly. "So what's wrong with him?"

"Well…" the Hokage started, expression darkening. Sakura's stomach dropped: this so could not be good. "He has a bad respiratory system already, a weak heart—sounds like pulmonary edema to me, but I'm not sure—and recently caught pneumonia. He was injured, too—there was no indicator as to how—and has burns, several lacerations, broken bones… Oh, and he's going blind. Have fun with that one."

"That's quite the list." Sakura murmured, unfurling the scroll. "Shouldn't you or Shizune be doing this one?"

"One: he requested you. Two: I'm busy, Shizune's busy. Three: I have confidence in you, Sakura. You can do this," she sighed, rubbing her temple. "But don't screw this up. This mission is worth enough to keep you living comfortably for a year."

The medic swallowed, and nodded. "When do I leave?"

"Tomorrow morning. Stock your kit, pack a bag… You should be gone three months, tops. Any longer and we're sending someone after you, alright?"

"Yes, shishou," the roseate replied with a curt bow. "I won't let you down."

Tsunade smiled. "That's my girl. Now get going: you should leave around dawn to get there by noon. Instructions are enclosed."

"Of course. Goodbye, Tsunade-sama." Sakura smiled back, and left with a click of the door, leaving Tsunade alone once again.

As the blonde surveyed the room she realized something was missing… Oh, that girl _so _did not take her sake!

The buxom Hokage stood and rifled through the papers, face slowly reddening as she realized the decanter and cup had been taken and replaced with a mountain of paperwork. Damn that child!

She flopped back with a scowl, slumping in her chair. The girl was observant and smart for her age, but something about this mission had struck her as odd. The Lord's name had not been disclosed and Tsunade had protested sending her student, but the council had overruled her, saying that the village needed the money—which was true, meaning that the younger medic was sent along anyway.

Amber eyes flickered to the window to watch the small figure hop from rooftop to rooftop, already eager to be getting such a large assignment. Tsunade sighed: she was honestly worried, and made a note to herself to buy a lottery ticket.

It seemed that too many people she loved were being put in danger for the sake of her village… She only hoped she wouldn't lose another one.

* * *

"Itachi."

The Uchiha didn't respond verbally to the voice. He merely cracked open his bleary, dying eyes and looked impassively to the right, seeing nothing but darkness. There was a figure there, he knew, one that he detested more than anything on this earth, but the other man would not be visible in the poor lighting of this dimly-lit cave. His brother was here too—he could feel the boy's chakra, healthier and far more substantial than his own. He should have died at his brother's hand, but of course the man in the shadows had ruined that chance.

Said man in the shadows seemed to realize the Uchiha was focussing his attentions on him and continued talking. "Konoha sent word today. Your medic should arrive by noon tomorrow."

Itachi's mouth set in a grim line before his lips parted, his voice weak and raspy. "I do not want a medic. Send her back."

There was a laugh. "You don't get a say in this, I'm afraid. You haven't worn out your usefulness yet, Itachi."

As usual, he was simply a tool. Always the tool: for his father, for Konoha, and for this man. He tried to sigh, but couldn't gather enough air in his failing lungs, instead coughing harshly and wetly, blood seeping between his fingers as stars popped in front of his eyes.

In the moment it took for his lungs to settle the other man had crossed the room, the flickering light of the candle making him appear far more devilish that normal. Itachi held up a hand to stop the masked man from leaning over him, but it was brushed away as if it were nothing.

"Please do not… Madara." Itachi panted, bracing himself with one hand as he tried to sit up, using all of his willpower to try and activate the Sharingan. He knew it wouldn't come, not when he was like this, and could do nothing but stare listlessly as the other Uchiha guided his face upwards.

"You need the rest, Itachi." A glint of red, fingers tightening on his jaw. His mind screamed out in protest as Madara's Sharingan bore into his eyes, tomoe slowly spinning to forcefully induce sleep.

The younger man felt his will leave him and his eyes grow heavy as he fell back into the bed, bones crying out in pain from the feeling. Things would be better if he were dead, but apparently fate had other plans.

As sleep gripped him, Itachi became sure that he was going to take down Madara one way or the other, and perhaps meeting this medic would be the very first step.

* * *

**A/N: Boring starting chapter is boring. I'm sorry it couldn't be more interesting… xD; It gets better next chapter, I promise! **

**Chapter is UNBETA'D. I'm looking, but sometimes it takes longer than one hopes...**

**Review? :3 I love them so hard. **


	2. Dead Man's Trap

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews. :D They make me happy. Have a chapter. Oh, right, and THIS FIC IS RATED M, AS IN MATURE. VIOLENCE WILL HAPPEN IN THIS STORY. If you look closely you should know what's coming, and the "violence" warning will come as no surprise. I warned you in the beginning this story was going to start fast and be dark (LIKE MY SOUUUUUUL). If you can't handle a bit of rage and Madara and some serious bruising, then you need to leave before this gets worse. xD;**

**Disclaimed, as in I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

_D_ead _M_an's _T_rap

* * *

_They said I should know the difference_

_Between a truth and a lie, but sometimes_

_Ignorance truly is bliss._

* * *

In hindsight, Sakura mused, she really should have brought sunscreen.

It was blindingly sunny, the sky completely free of clouds and the trees hardly providing any shade to the swiftly moving kunoichi. She could have wished for a breeze or some rain or something, but summertime in Fire was always the same—relentless and sweltering, enough to make even the most toughened shinobi sweat like a pig.

And as it happened, she was no different. Her zipped top stuck to her skin, hair plastered to the back of her neck. With each step she could feel the slide of her boots against her skin, lubricated by the sweat… Yeah, this was how she wanted to meet her employer. All sweaty and gross, because that made a great impression on people she was supposed to heal.

She didn't really get a choice, though, and she knew it. The medic had been travelling since about five AM with this heavy-ass bag and a small breakfast, knowing that there would be no stops along the way if she wanted to get there on time. Her patient needed immediate attention and she could not afford to stop and waste time by cleaning herself off. There would be time after she assed the situation and got settled in.

It had been hours since she had seen the ground, but as the trees thinned out and a line of buildings became clear, Sakura knew she was almost at her destination. Hopping down deftly and readjusting her pack as she estimated the time it would take to get into town. According to her calculations it should take approximately thirty more minutes… And the place was shaded. That would be nice, especially since she was almost an hour ahead of time… Her contact wouldn't be arriving until noon, so she might have time to clean off and get something to eat anyway.

With a happy sigh she headed north, a slight skip to her step as she walked along the cobblestone path that lead to the settlement. As she predicted, it took around thirty minutes—twenty-four if she was being critical—and was soon within the town.

It was a charming little place, lots of low, traditional buildings and stalls full of fresh fruits, flowers, and fish. A pleasant smell permeated her senses and she couldn't help but sigh, enjoying the small pleasure that was such a small place. Konoha was nice, yes, but Sakura had always preferred rural landscapes as they left so much more to do and explore, and were peaceful. As much as she loved her job and her team mates and her friends she loved alone time more, and would never tire of spending endless hours curled up on the couch with a good book. After all, she did love to read, even if she didn't have much time to do it.

What she loved most, though, was bathing, and that was at the top of her priority list at the moment. It didn't take much wandering before she found herself lost, and paused in front of a fruit stall to ask the plump, brunette shopkeeper that seemed to have just materialized if she could give her directions.

"Um, hello, Miss. I was just wondering if you could help me," she asked timidly, hands clasped behind her back as if she were a small child again.

The woman blinked and smiled, her dark eyes crinkling warmly. "Of course. What do you need?"

"Well, I'm not from around here, and I—"

"A traveller, lost by the looks of it," the woman nodded, clucking. "Are you a ninja?"

Sakura blushed. "Is it that obvious?"

"It is, dear, but that's not a bad thing," she smiled, and winked at her. "What are you looking for?"

"The bath house, please. I've been travelling a long ways," she replied, her own lips curling into a nervous smile.

"Konoha, I assume." More clucking as the woman pondered, then pointed. "Just down that street there is a large building, red rooftop. Inside's the onsen, but its mixed bathing. If you prefer separate, you might want to go to a hotel."

"Mixed is fine," she replied, though her neck was probably bright red to match her hot face. "Thank you, Miss…?"

"Akiha, Miyaki Akiha." Akiha nodded courteously. "And you are?"

"Oh… I'm Sakura." The medic grinned. "Haruno Sakura. Thanks so much for your help!"

"Of course, dear," the brunette replied, waving at the younger woman before the girl bounded off and rounded the corner, completely out of sight.

With a sigh, Akiha let her hand rise up to her ear, as if to itch, though grimaced at the crackle she was greeted with.

"Sasuke-kun, it's me." The formerly warm smile disappeared from the woman's face as her expression darkened. "The target has arrived. She went to the bath house."

"_Good work, Karin. Hold your position until you hear the signal." _Karin nearly squealed aloud at the deep voice, and the compliment, but knew better than to have it revoked in the current situation.

"'kay. Do you think she can do it?"

"_Do what?"_

"Whatever it is Madara wants her to do," she replied, pouting.

"_Well, he seems to think so. We'll just have to see how much such a pathetic kunoichi could have grown."_

Karin's lips twisted into a smug smirk as she disconnected the line. Today was going to be a good day, she just knew it.

* * *

"Mm… Gods, this is nice."

Sakura's words were a dreamy mumble as she sank into the hot water for a carefully planned fifteen-minute soak, eyes closing as she dunked her head below the water. Her muscles were already sore and tight, but now that she was in the onsen it was as if all her cares were just disappearing into the air around her. Of course she knew that she'd have to leave soon but didn't really care, as washing her hair was of main concern.

Slender fingers wrapped around the handle of a jug to wet her hair, smoothing pink locks back with a frown. How was it even possible she had been born with pink hair? Sure, her mother had it too, but that didn't mean it should be genetically possible. Most people assumed that it was dyed and she couldn't even remember how many times she had been asked if the carpet matched the drapes. Of course it _had_ been mostly men that had asked, and most of them had ended up in the hospital with a broken nose and a severely bruised ego.

The kunoichi smiled at the memory as she leaned back and took some soap, lathering it in her hands. Most of those incidents had happened in Konoha, and Naruto had been on the serving end in most cases because he was actually really bad at keeping his fat mouth shut. Surprisingly enough it got him out of trouble almost as many times as in, and Kakashi generally called it his "Preaching-no-jutsu" because of the ridiculous way it worked. The majority of people couldn't withstand the effects, and often enough they caved and bent to Konoha's will. The charismatic jinchuuriki, that's what he was. But there had been one person Naruto couldn't bring back…

"Sasuke." Sakura breathed, closing her eyes. She remembered the night he left her, what he had done to Naruto when he wanted to escape, finding him in Orochimaru's lair and finding out just what he had become… Her best friend had promised to bring him back but now that she had grown up, sometimes she wondered if he was even worth saving.

There was so much about him that had changed, and he was no longer the broken little boy that she had followed like a lovesick puppy. Now he was a man and an enemy, and though he was her team mate and she wanted to bring him home, there was nothing she would or even _could_ do to make his punishment anything less than what he deserved for harming his own village. Even his brother had never killed anyone from Konoha in the time he had been gone…

But that Uchiha was dead, right? Sasuke had fought him to the death and won, according to Zetsu. She had been there and heard it first hand, so there was no way she could have mistaken it. Hadn't Sasuke said he just wanted revenge? That he would return once his brother had died?

Yes, he had, but now that his brother was long gone, the Uchiha still stayed far away from Konoha. It wasn't like he couldn't come home anymore… He had just made the choice to leave for good. There hadn't been word of his movements in weeks, and sometimes Sakura found herself worrying despite her will not to.

And, as if her worries and internal struggles had made him form out of midair, he appeared.

No, seriously. Sakura's eyes bugged out of her head for a moment, blinking repeatedly at the wall of pale, well-muscled back flesh that was presented to her. Spiky hair clung to the back of his neck in a shade of deep, nearly black blue, and though it seemed he had grown up a bit and had gotten more… manly, she could say, all she could think was _what the fuck_… There was no way it could be real. No way in hell could this be real, because if it was he'd turn around and-

_OhfuckSakuraseriouslydon'tlookdon'tlookwellthendon'tstare_.

"Sakura?"

The roseate simply squeaked in response. He should be trying to kill her and not coming close and fucking _hell_ he was way to close and she wanted to punch him. Hard and repeatedly.

_Okay… don't think like that. Bad train of thought._

"Sakura…" Sasuke's voice broke her reverie, and sense finally snapped back into her, face contorting in rage despite the overwhelming desire just to curl up and die.

"UCHIHA SASUKE, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING HERE?"

He blinked. That was unexpected. "Bathing. I just happened to see you, that's all."

"Yeah, sure," she scoffed, trying to ignore the fact that both of them were wet and naked and in a mostly-empty onsen. If she had still been one of his fangirls she probably would have spurted a nosebleed and died happy, but no matter how attractive the younger Uchiha was it did not make up for the assholery she had been through in the last three years. She was about ready to kill him, and he knew it.

Sasuke raised his hands in a fairly placating gesture, his normally blank face holding an expression of slight surprise. "I'm not going to hurt you, Sakura."

"If you're not going to hurt me, why the hell are you showing your face to me?" she snapped, glaring daggers at him in a way he was fairly sure she hadn't been able to before. Wasn't she supposed to love him?

"I… wanted to say hello. Nothing more."

Well that was random. Her expression faltered for a moment but was picked back up soon, and she huffed somewhat sulkily. "I can't say 'hi' to you. I'm supposed to drag your ass back home but right now I'm not a mission, and you need to leave."

"You just did say hi," he pointed out, a slight hint of irritation leaking into his voice. "And come on, Sakura. Just take a walk with me."

She hesitated for a moment, brow furrowing in concentration as her teeth instinctively bit down on her lower lip. She did have ten minutes left of this bath and fifteen more after that, so technically she had about twenty minutes before she'd have to get ready to meet the client… And it was Sasuke. Her Sasuke, her team's Sasuke. Maybe she could plant a chakra tag on him or something and they'd be able to track him down, but the fact he was being so… open with her was disconcerting.

It was really out of character for him and she knew it, but perhaps because they were alone and there was no real threat he didn't feel the need to be so protective of himself, and especially since his brother was dead he didn't feel the need to hide from other people and his emotions. Maybe she had been wrong about him… Maybe this would turn out okay.

"Alright." Sakura sighed, missing the look of triumph that crossed the Uchiha's features. "Just lemme get dried off and dressed, alright?"

"I'll meet you outside, then," he smirked, disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Sakura flopped back in the water and rubbed her eyes. This day was just getting plain weird.

First the mysteriously appearing clerk in the market, and now Sasuke? There was no way this couldn't be planned. She knew there was more than one bath house in this town, and the clerk just_ happened_ to direct her to this one? It was fishy to say the least, and she couldn't help but feel that perhaps she was taking this too lightly. How could she be sure this wasn't a trap?

In all honesty, well… She couldn't.

There was no proof that he wouldn't just slaughter her once he had her alone, or incapacitate her. The mission couldn't be a fraud—too much detail and it had been paid halfway in advance—so there was no way he had a hand in that, but meeting him in the exact place where she was meant to be was just weird.

But maybe he just wanted to see her, as weird as that sounded inside of her mind. The more she thought about it and rationalized it the more she believed it, and soon found herself getting out of the onsen and heading off to change.

She didn't feel the pair of dark eyes watching her every move from the shadows, one hidden by a swirling orange mask.

* * *

The forest was quiet. Far, far too quiet.

In Sakura's opinion, she found being alone in the woods with one Uchiha Sasuke rather alarming, but made no show of it. It wasn't as if he would be able to tell regardless, being an S-ranked missing nin from her very own village and someone she had actually known once. It was difficult to believe that he was just trying to be normal when she felt as if someone was watching her.

The kunoichi adjusted her heavy pack and looked to her left at said Uchiha, who was staring straight ahead with his mouth set in a grim line. As if she didn't have enough worries, the look on Sasuke's face was enough to tell her that she should run as fast as she could in the other direction and never once look back. Just fantastic, really. On top of that she was going to be late, and when she realized this, her lips parted slightly to inform him.

"As lovely as this has been, I really need to go…" Sakura tried to keep her tone nonchalant, looking out of the corner of her eye at his expression.

"Hn," he replied, before correcting himself. "Why's that?"

"Mission." No reason giving the details she didn't need to.

It was then that he stopped, turning to her with no expression on his face, his aura changing to something darker, more sinister. Sakura backed up slightly in alarm but he grabbed her wrist, staring into her eyes as black gave way to crimson. "This is your mission, Sakura," he said, a small, ominous smirk forming on his effeminate features. "You're already in position."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "I… what…? Sasuke, I can't… That's not possible…"

"Tch, typical." His grip tightened, and she felt her bones tighten under the pressure. "Trust you not to see the obvious, Sakura. I can't believe you fell for that."

"That's because she's nowhere near as good as you, Sasuke-kun." A simpering, rather boyish voice came from her right, and the medic craned her neck to catch a glimpse of a red-headed woman with glasses, evidently one of Sasuke's new team mates.

And she called him Sasuke-_kun_. As if the bastard really deserved that! Right now, in this moment, Sakura had never felt more betrayed in her life. She could feel her eyes begin to grow wet with tears, her breath hitch in her chest as the sheer weight of what was happening crashed down upon her.

"Aw, look! She's gonna cry!" Another voice, this one distinctly male, joined the 'conversation'. "What a weakling, Sasuke. No wonder you compared this broad to Karin: they're both cry-babies."

"Why don't you go fuck yourself, Suigetsu?" the girl named Karin shrieked across the clearing at another boy, this one fairly tall with a shock of silver-blue hair and surprisingly pointy teeth.

"Why don't you go die in a fucking hole, Karin?"

"Why don't both of you shut the hell up and tell me what the fuck is going on!" Sakura's voice rose above Karin's as she tried to wrench her wrist free of Sasuke's grip, her eyes drying out as anger took over.

All three of them went silent for a moment as they stared at the Konoha medic. Sasuke was the first to come back with a reply, however. "We're taking you."

"_Taking_ me?" Sakura repeated, a slight hint of disbelieving laughter in her voice. "Like some damsel in distress? I don't fucking _think_ so."

"There's nothing you can do about it, Sakura." She felt Sasuke's grip tighten further, and bit back the gasp of pain. "You don't get a choice."

Oh, that was it. There was no way that this… this _prick_ could boss her around like this. Not anymore.

"Fuck you and your fucking plans, Sasuke, because I don't take fucking orders from you!"

In the split second it took for her to wrench her fist back from him with surprising strength, the Uchiha found himself wondering when in the _hell_ she had picked up such foul language.

And the second after that he really could not fathom how she had gotten strong—and fast—enough to rear back her fist and punch him hard enough in the face that he flew into a tree ten feet away with a sickening, resounding _crack_.

It took him a moment to process what happened, as it did his team, but it all became clear once he felt the unnatural angle his nose was bent at while blood streamed steadily, pooling around his chin and staining his white shirt.

"Ouch," he said, the word more out of surprise than actual pain (that's not saying it didn't hurt, because this was more injured than he had ever been in his life and it really, really fucking stung).

Sakura cracked her knuckles, jade orbs dark as they settled on his prone form.

"You… you hit Sasuke-kun!" Karin blinked, face contorting in rage. "I'll kill you!"

As the redhead ran at her Sakura smirked, energy swirling around her in a dangerous way that went unnoticed to everyone but the Uchiha. "Karin, wait, don't—!"

Sasuke's call was seconds too late however, and he jumped to his feet in a split second to push her out of the way as Sakura's heel slammed into the ground, splitting the earth into a deep crevasse. He jumped the gap and realized the battle was on, dodging the shuriken thrown by Suigetsu and drew his katana, using the split ground as leverage to leap into the air.

Sakura, who was busy ignoring Karin's cries, didn't quite hear the "GO SASUKE-KUN~!" but did see the shadow, and reached up just in time to snatch his ankle. Sasuke twisted and took a good swing at her, slicing through the crimson fabric of her shirt, and was rewarded with a hiss of pain from the roseate.

She may have been injured but that didn't mean she was incapacitated, and took the split second opening of Sasuke's smug grin to twist his ankle hard enough to break it. The _crack_ resounded around the forest and she heard Karin's gasp, but didn't think much of it as she had to jump over the six-foot-long executioner's blade that swung her way.

"Fuck!" Sakura breathed, realizing now that this fight was going to get bad. If she thought she was screwed before, she certainly knew as much now.

Just as the blade almost swung down for a second blow a figure caught it, one garbed completely in black.

One that Sakura recognized from that fateful day when the Uchiha battle took place…

"You!" Verdant eyes widened as the man turned, revealing the tell-tale orange mask that she knew would be there. "Tobi!"

"Aw, she remembers me!" 'Tobi's tone was teasing, almost, even as Sakura reared back her fist and punched him clean through the chest—well, her fist fazed right through it. Already infuriated, Sakura made a move to grab the front of his clothing, but before she was even close the man had picked her up by the straps of her pack and was making her look upwards, right into his face. "That's a shame, though… We can't have you trying to escape, now can we?"

"Go to hell!" she ground out, struggling fruitlessly against his grasp, kicking and squirming as she kept her face turned away from his. She couldn't meet his eyes, she just couldn't… This wasn't happening. There was no way that she was really being captured by her ex-team mate and an Akatsuki psycho. "Lemme go!"

"Sorry, Sakura," the masked man replied, taking her chin between his fingers and tilting her face up. It was comical, really, because it might have looked tender if not for the fact she knew she was going to die… And as she saw the Sharingan spin, she realized that he was _solid_ at the moment and punched him so fast in the centre of that mask she swore the air hissed.

But holy mother bitch in heaven, that _hurt_. Sakura groaned in pain and from the slight fog the Sharingan had caused, cradling her now-broken knuckles in her hand as she dropped to the ground and crumpled up. Damn it, _why_ didn't she reinforce that…

It didn't seem to strike her quite yet that she had just struck an apparently untouchable man across the face, but Sasuke's team mates seemed to. They were currently staring at the young kunoichi's victim, who had indeed fallen back and was actually lying quite still. No one could see his face so they weren't sure if he was laughing or crying as his shoulders shook, and Sakura couldn't lie when she was actually surprised he stood without wavering.

"That's quite the punch you've got, Sakura," he said, voice a hell of a lot darker than she had ever heard it and rather imposing as he came closer. "Almost enough to hurt. I presume you saw that opening when I nearly knocked you out?"

She was fairly sure it was a rhetorical question, but nodded regardless. "You're fucking right I did."

The Akatsuki's only visible eye narrowed. "Insolent child… That tone can be remedied easily enough,"

"Madara, I don't think—" Sakura heard Sasuke call, and her brow creased in confusion. Madara…? And why was Sasuke sticking up for her?

"Quiet, boy. Take your team and go back to base: meet me in the conference room. You will have a mission to attend to." Madara turned back to Sakura. "And as for you, We could have taken the easy way with this, but you just had to fight it, didn't you?"

Before Sakura had the chance to reply she was met with a kick to the ribs, effectively winding her and causing her to bite back the comment. As if that wasn't enough, the blows continued—she felt the pain rattle her to her bones, Madara's words going unheard as tears stung her eyes. She knew if he was going to all this trouble to capture her he wasn't about to kill her, but that didn't mean he wouldn't harm her.

Her chest and sides ached and she was on the verge of begging him to stop when she was lifted again, this time by her neck. She felt the rough fabric of his gloves against her skin, the tightening of his fingers. There would be bruises there in the morning, she knew, but it was enough to kill her determination and this time, simply accept the crimson swirl of his Sharingan.

As consciousness left her she couldn't help but wonder why they wanted her.

If there was no 'lord' and those who had sprung this trap were uninjured… Who was it that required her assistance?

* * *

**A/N: I should have added more to this, I think. I really do find something's missing with this chapter but I can't put my finger on it. :/ Regardless, updates are going to be a bit slow from here on out, as summer is coming. If you're wondering why Sakura just got kicked while she was down I think you're missing the point of Madara's characterization. He hates Konoha and she back-sassed him like it was nothing: he wouldn't take that from some child. Besides, she's a medic, right?**

**That being said, I've recently posted a "reasons for how I characterize characters" on my profile. Itachi's the one that I've done for now because sometimes I hear he's OOC and yeah. Reviews are welcome, as are flames and concrit and whatever. My love goes out for those who have reviewed, fo' sho'. -heart- **


	3. The Ultimatum

**A/N: I hope this answers your question**_**, withloveagain**_**, haha. ;D And thanks for the reviews/alerts/faves. You guys are awesome and make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, seriously.**

**Also manga spoilers, and I'm just borrowing the characters/universe/wangst. I don't make money off this and I only wish I owned _Naruto_.**

* * *

**Chapter Three **

_T_he _U_ltimatum

* * *

_People have many things that they hold dear:_

_Family, friends, places, memories, objects_

_And when those things are threatened, one will_

_Do almost anything to keep those loves and hopes alive._

* * *

Sasuke, as fate had it, was genuinely regretting just about everything that had happened in his life.

From being born to trusting his brother, to coming home early on the night of the massacre, to ignoring his team mates, and now for the most recent events that had happened, like creating Taka, killing his beloved older brother, and now for bringing Sakura into this whole mess. Now, he didn't give a rip about Konoha, but something about seeing his ex-team mate made him feel like he had missed something all those years ago. It was really quiet obvious that he had either underestimated her or just not cared enough to notice the girl had potential, and because of that he was now sitting on his lumpy bedroll with none other than Karin tending to his nose as the four of them discussed Operation Destroy Konoha.

Of course he found the thought rather amusing now as he thought back on how Orochimaru had done the same thing, but having his leg both jostled and felt up was painful and quite annoying, and it was really hard to keep his composure when Karin hit the broken bone for the fourth time.

"Karin, can you please be gentler with that?" Sasuke's voice was cool and collected, though his face was slightly pink.

Said kunoichi blushed, and nodded furiously. "Of course, Sasuke-kun. It's just that you got an awful lot of bones broken from such a simple hit…"

"Too bad the woman hadn't been aiming for your face, huh, Karin?" Suigetsu called, leaning his blade up against the door as he chuckled and dodged the roll of bandages thrown his way.

"Fuck you, Suigetsu! As least Sasuke-kun could hit her!"

"Hey, it's not my fault Madara got in the way. At least I have enough skill to do _something_, you bespectacled fangirl," he replied sweetly, ignoring their dark-haired leader's glare.

"I am not a fangirl! I know that deep down—"

"—deep, deep, _deep_ down—"

"Shut up, you freak! I know Sasuke-kun loves me!"

It was at that point Sasuke's brow twitched and Juugo cleared his throat, pointing at the rather enraged Uchiha. The reaction was immediate: Karin automatically looked sheepish and guilty; Suigetsu took on a look of complete contentedness as a smug grin crossed his face. There was a moment of silence before the redhead went back to tending Sasuke's nose, muttering about ugly-ass shark men the whole time.

"Juugo, what's your progress in scouting?"

The orange-haired shinobi scratched his chin, thinking for a moment. "Well, there's nothing special in the area. ANBU guards haven't changed their schedules and the Hokage's been calling back an awful lot of shinobi: there's talk of war."

"War…" The Uchiha contemplated for a moment, taking on his general brooding pose. "From whom?"

"Kiri, Oto, Kusa… And word has it that Iwa and Kumo are looking for reasons to get into a fight, because Konoha's apparently been stealing their business." Juugo shrugged. "But all the nations are on edge right now. Akatsuki's getting close to capturing all the Bijuu."

"Even though we haven't gotten ours…" Suigetsu mumbled under his breath, apparently disappointed by this fact. "We haven't even _started_."

"That doesn't mean we won't ever, Suigetsu." Sasuke drawled, leaning back on his hands. "We simply have better things to worry about."

"I wouldn't say that if I were you, kid."

The four looked around to the door where the new voice came from, taking in the large, hunkering form of Kisame. His robe had been discarded though he was still carrying his sword, and every one of Taka's members seemed to survey him with a slight hint of anger, though all for different reasons.

Sasuke was the first to speak. "Why not?"

"Madara's not happy, now that Itachi's… Well, incapacitated." Kisame said, shrugging slightly. Course the kid didn't know his partner was still alive, but that was for good reason. "And now that you all have your little club meetings and totally disregard his orders, it's getting worse."

"Are you complaining, old man?" Suigetsu asked, his tone dry.

"Can it, you," the shark-man growled, silvery eyes narrowing. "If you want to call Madara's man-period off as nothing, then fine, I'm complaining. I'm trying to save your sorry asses, though, because this one's brother would've killed me if I didn't."

Said dark-haired male simply blinked before lowering his head, expression clouding.

"Oh hell, Kisame, now look what you did!" Karin snapped, gesturing at Sasuke. "You know not to talk about you-know-who in front of him!"

Kisame waved a hand dismissively, grinning. "Trust me, if Itachi found out he was sulking about his death he would probably laugh, and that's saying something."

Juugo sighed as Suigetsu backed the Akatsuki up, causing Karin to go on the defensive and begin the incessant bickering that always somehow managed to start up the second anyone on this 'team' got a word in edgewise. It was really hard to remain calm here, and this most certainly was not helping… Neither was Sasuke's rain cloud, but there was nothing to help that. The poor kid was in permanent angst mode now, even though he hadn't breathed a word as to why. Sometimes, the orange-haired test subject wondered why he had agreed to this.

The Uchiha was thinking the same thing, oddly enough, as the yelling got progressively louder and began to make his head pound. He closed his eyes and prayed that everyone would just shut the hell up…

"Quit your bickering." A familiar voice came from the doorway, and the fighting stopped instantly. "I have heard you four haven't begun hunting the Hachibi."

There were sheepish mutters and an _"I told you so"_ from Kisame as Madara entered the small enclosure, mask glinting darkly in the candlelight. Everyone was slightly uncomfortable under his one-eyed gaze, not speaking unless asked directly. "Well? Why has that not happened?"

"Well, seeing as little-miss-diva over there has been on permanent emo mode ever since Itachi died, we haven't really had a chance to begin…"

Sasuke's scowl was heard rather than seen. He was no emo kid, nor was he a diva.

"Ahh… I see." The elder Uchiha came closer to the team as Kisame snuck out, sensing that it was a bad time to interrupt and didn't want to get caught in the crossfire that was Madara's rage. The man continued as if nothing had happened, apparently unaffected. "Didn't I say that the Hachibi and the Kyuubi need to be extracted within six months or the statue would collapse?"

A collective nod. "And didn't I say that if I didn't get the Hachibi I was going to take it out on you four?" Another nod. "Then where is my demon?"

"Still in the host, obviously." Suigetsu muttered below his breath, earning a sharp smack from Karin.

Madara's eye narrowed. "Obviously. Now, if I don't get that demon within a month or you fail for any reason, I will personally see to it that all four of you are put to death… And yes, that does include you, Sasuke, whether or not we both wish to see Konoha fall." Sasuke's once-opened mouth clamped shut, glaring at his supposedly-dead kin. "Now, your ankle will be fixed and then you will leave. You are not to return until you capture your demon."

"Yes, sir." The four said in unison, eyeing down their 'leader'.

"Good. Now the rest of you can leave: our little medic is going to help us out this time."

"Sakura is going to heal this?" Sasuke asked, his tone more disbelieving than questioning. "Are you sure she can?"

Madara shrugged. "It's more to test her skill. If not, we kill her. How simple is that?"

* * *

_Why am I so cold…?_

That was the first observation Sakura made as she came back into consciousness, the second not coming so much as an observation as a realization, and that realization was a very loud cuss and a hiss as her body set on fire. When she got out of here, someone was going to pay.

The kunoichi remained still on the floor so as not to jar her injuries, and took a deep, cleansing breath as she focused and took account of what was wrong with her, all the while trying to keep her eyes shut and not think about the fact she had just been taken hostage by a dead man and her ex-team mate. Good times were about to be had, she was absolutely sure. No sarcasm there, either, nope.

With her chakra feeling unstable and turbulent Sakura had to move a bit, and as she wiggled her nose and slowly the rest of her body she found herself wanting to cry. From the knees up she could feel her body was a mass of bruises, her back slightly twisted and definitely stiff from lying on the floor for so long. Two broken ribs that were dangerously close to puncturing a lung, a dislocated shoulder and several broken fingers from when she had punched Madara in the face… Her cheek was bruised as well, and she was sure that if she would have slept any longer she would have fallen into a coma from the degree of concussion she had.

Tears stung her eyes as she tried to sit up, realizing that her hands were bound with a ridiculously tight pair of cuffs. They were warmer than they should have been, and as she opened her eyes to look at them she noted all the odd symbols engraved in the surface. Well, that answered her question as to why she couldn't mould chakra—these cuffs interfered with her signature, making it impossible to focus.

Sakura cursed aloud. Those bastards had to think of everything, didn't they?

Of course they did, she mused. They were _Uchiha_, and that made them gods in their own eyes, though everyone else saw them as total idiots and bastards and vengeful dickheads that had nothing better to do in their time than to kidnap people, get revenge, or cause fights. Fucking bastards, the lot of them. The kunoichi made a silent pact with herself to give up on Sasuke forever and kill any Uchiha she could get her hands on in the near future.

That was if she even _had_ a future, the medic thought with a sigh. After all this was done for she wouldn't be surprised if they killed her instead of sending her home, as that would be the typical thing to do. It wasn't like they had any particular attachment to her or anything. That thought was the last thing she needed on her mind and so she pushed it back, instead focussing on what they could potentially want her for.

She was not a stupid girl, and it didn't take a genius to figure out they wanted her for a lot more than just a punching bag. They had made a point not to kill her in the first place, and the 'mission' had specified a specific condition, meaning that there must be someone here that needed healing… Or they were just going to use her as their own personal medic. As tempting as that might have sounded, she was pretty sure that if they wanted her for longer they would have said so, and if they kept her over the date that she was supposed to return Konoha would come after her ready to kick some ass. She was the Hokage's apprentice, after all.

Perhaps that was why they wanted her… A direct connection into Konoha and to the Hokage, as she was fairly influential with her shishou and was well-known throughout the village, along with her famous team mates… The Copy Ninja and the Jinchuuriki.

Sakura's brow creased. They—well, Madara—were Akatsuki, and she knew that they were still after the tailed beasts. What if they wanted her so that they could lure in Naruto?

Now that she thought about it that was fairly plausible, but if they had wanted his attention, why hadn't they simply taken her and not gone through all the trouble of summoning her? Maybe they had someone that needed healing and that was why they gave her village false information, and they planned to keep her after the expected return date so that they'd send her team after her. That was a potential scenario, Sakura found, but she still didn't see reason as to why they'd take Naruto after going through all this trouble… Not to mention there weren't many members left of Akatsuki regardless.

Orochimaru, Kakuzu, Hidan, Deidara, Sasori and Itachi were all dead, and that left only Zetsu, Kisame, Madara or Tobi or whatever his name was, Pein and Konan, whom she had only heard of when snooping on her shishou during one of Jiraiya's visits. There certainly weren't enough of them left to perform the sealing even if they _did_ get their hands on Naruto, and that made her slightly more comfortable in the fact that they had kidnapped her for her, even if that was an entirely inappropriate reason to feel like she would be okay.

Just as Sakura had settled in for bearable boredom, the door opened with a heavy, metallic creaking, and a lumbering shadow made his way into the room.

The kunoichi hardly looked up, but hissed loudly in pain when the figure jabbed her in the ribs with his sandaled foot. "Watch it, you bastard! Those are broken!"

She heard him laugh, and promptly scowled. "I wasn't sure if you were awake or not, kunoichi. You need to get up."

"No," she spat, trying to inch away from him. "I don't want to get up and I kind of _can't_, seeing as I can't use my hands and I'm very obviously injured."

"Well excuse me, princess, but Madara'll have a fit if you're not in shape to speak with him and tend to the brat's nose."

Her lips quirked into a slight smirk at the man's voice, which sounded almost amused by the fact her dearest, most wonderful ex-team mate had his nose broken. "You'll just have to tell Madara that he can suck my dick for all I care, 'cause I'm not doing anything for him."

At that the figure bent into view, and she was greeted by the sight of bluish skin and silvery eyes… Kisame. The kunoichi scooted back a bit despite her will not show weakness, which elicited another chuckle from the Akatsuki.

"Look, I'm supposed to just drag you down the hall to fix Sasuke, but wouldn't you like to clean up? Fix yourself?" The kunoichi raised a brow before he continued. "I'm not normally a nice guy, but you look like hell and I don't think your new patient would like to see you all fucked up for no reason."

"You know who I'm healing?" Sakura asked, not understanding. "Who is it?"

The shark-man grinned and stood up. "I can't tell ya, princess. Now get up and let's go: your smell is starting to get to me."

Sakura tentatively stood while ignoring the pain, and followed the blue man, brows knitted in confusion.

* * *

Once inside the small, rather plain bathroom, Kisame had undone the chakra bracelets, though had heavily warned her that if she made an attempt to escape, he was going to have to drag her back to her cell and suck her chakra reserves dry, so Sakura had inevitably complied with the Akatsuki. That wasn't to say she liked it, though, because she most certainly did not, and had grumbled various and rather impressive profanities as she shoved the nuke-nin out of her temporary sanctuary.

Now that she was alone, she had the chance to survey her injuries properly. Stripping down without a second thought she turned to the mirror, and gave a soft cry of surprise.

There was no way that bloodstained, dirty girl could be her… Though when she waved, the figure waved back. Her hair was matted to a dirty reddish-brown that stuck to her neck, her face and abdomen a myriad of ghoulish colours ranging from red to yellow to a deep, sickly purple. Her right side was almost caved in from the broken ribs, and her left hand was ridiculously swollen compared to the other, and she could see that yes, her fingers were definitely broken.

Tears stung her eyes again as she sat on the floor, not wanting to look at herself anymore. There was nothing else to do than just heal these wounds by herself—starting with the concussion that was starting to make her eyes grow bleary. The medic closed her eyes and let the chakra trickle through her veins, healing the bruises and other lacerations from the inside, which took very little chakra. Once that procedure was completed she grit her teeth, taking hold of one of her broken fingers. She took a deep breath and snapped it back into place, biting her lip hard enough to draw blood so that she wouldn't scream.

She did the same with her other finger, the pain becoming so intense that she had to lie back against the tiled floor as the dizziness passed. Why the hell did she have to do this all alone? Why hadn't they taken someone else? It wasn't like she was the only medic ever, and that didn't mean she would wish anyone else in her place, but this was unfair. She was still just a kid, not just a ninja: just a girl who never had a chance to really live yet. This time she didn't bother to stop herself from crying; instead she just let the tears fall as she knitted her fingers back together, eventually sitting up to fix her ribs as well.

After the good fifteen minutes spent healing herself she finally got into the tiny, stand-in shower, cranking up the hot water because she had an awful feeling that it wouldn't last long due to location. There was no denying that she was in some kind of refurbished cave, which wasn't exactly terrible-looking, but it didn't make for a particularly warm stay. The steamy box was like heaven to the tired and sore kunoichi, and her lips parted in bliss as she leaned back against the wall.

Sakura looked around for some soap, and was actually very amused by the assortment of shampoos presented to her. Some weird men's shampoo, one for guys over fifty, one called "Ocean Mist" (which she assumed was Kisame's), one called "Snake Peel" (which was probably Sasuke's, because he was a slimy bastard now), one for women which she believed was for Karin (and was very pleased to find it was Floral Green, her personal shampoo choice), which she upended into her hand. She massaged it into her hair and leaned back against the glass wall, her leg bumping another bottle she seemed to have missed… Maybe it was conditioner.

She rinsed her hair clean and swiped the bottle, which was indeed conditioner… It was coconut, of all things, and smelled incredibly sweet. Whose could this possibly be? It looked recently used and everything. Turning it over in her fingers, she realized there was a label, written in permanent black ink on the back of a piece of tape. She had to squint to read it, but the words were there, printed clearly for everyone to see.

'_Property of Uchiha Itachi. Please do not use.'_

Verdant eyes widened both in surprise and in obvious bemusement—one, Itachi had to be alive if he was showering, and two, _he used conditioner_. What kind of self-respecting villain used something that was generally meant for women?

A giggle bubbled up in her throat at the thought of Itachi using said conditioner, which erupted into a full-on laughing fit as she braced herself against the wall so she wouldn't fall. She probably sounded like a madwoman, cackling to herself like that, but at that moment she didn't exactly care—this was something she'd take back to Konoha and spread for the laughs. Who knew this 'trip' would have its perks?

Regardless of whose conditioner it was, the kunoichi popped the well-worn cap and turned over the bottle in her hand, smoothing the product through her short locks. It was quite nice, she found, much nicer than the stuff she usually used. Maybe she'd look into buying this kind of conditioner when she got back to Konoha… _If _she got back.

Sakura's shoulder's slumped at the thought, and she finally turned off the water to dry off once again. She looked far better now (and smelled better, too) and felt as if she was partially ready to get this thing done, even though she still didn't really want to do anything for any of these people. She knew she didn't have a choice, though, as she picked up the pieces of her clothing and tugged them back on. As she was short on a comb she quickly ran her fingers through her hair and tied her hitai-ate back in place, finally sliding on her boots before opening the door again.

Much to her surprise, Kisame was reading when she came back out, but looked up the second the door opened. He gave a curt not, and with a heavy sigh, the kunoichi held out her now-clean wrists. The chakra bands were placed on and within seconds they had disrupted her flow, causing the heavy discomfort to return and for the young medic to squirm and try to wriggle out of the engraved bands.

"Don't bother, kunoichi." Kisame chuckled, hefting Samehada over his shoulder. "Those won't come off without a specific chakra signature."

"Lemme guess: yours?" The kunoichi's tone was bland as she raised a brow, but her expression changed to that of surprise when the Akatsuki shook his head.

"Nah, not mine," he replied, shoving her down the hall.

The kunoichi stumbled and shot him a "don't-touch-me-or-I'll-break-you" look, hands clenching into fists. "Whose, then?"

"The one making the rules: Uchiha Madara."

* * *

It was needless to say that Sakura hadn't really been too happy to hear that she was yet again going to meet with some dead guy who had kicked her ribs in because she had sassed him, captured her, told her she now worked for him, turned Sasuke into a total dickhead, etc.

So by the time Kisame had shoved her down the rest of the hallway and directed her to a table, she was certainly fuming and trying to ignore the gnawing hunger in the pit of her stomach. It wasn't fair to be treated like this or that she was the one who all of this was happening to—why didn't Tsunade look deeper into this mission? Wasn't it a total tip-off that there was no name given on the scroll (Sakura had gotten the chance to dig through her weapon-less bag when Kisame had left, and she thoroughly read the damn thing in hopes that there was something she could do to call for help)?

It should have been, but the only thing that made the mission happen anyway was the money. Shinobi thrived based off of the work they got, and if they didn't bring in money for the village the daimyo wouldn't support them forever. Konoha was considered successful because they had some of the best and most sought after nins of all time, so most of the world's missions came to them. What would happen if they sent a search party after her and they couldn't pinpoint her location? What if they just left her here to die?

Her life would be considered a great loss for Konoha, but it wasn't the end of the world. She was an apparently famous kunoichi, but still nothing compared to her shishou, or her team mates. If her life was lost it was no harm, no foul, because she was just another pawn in the game that all shinobi nations played. A depressing thought to be sure, but Sakura had become quite the realist over the last couple of years, and this experience was certainly one that called for it.

She wasn't left alone with her thoughts for too long, but the roseate hardly heard the door open with a quiet creaking noise. Soft footsteps of a man came next, and then another pair of someone lighter. It didn't take a genius to figure out who it was by the chakra signatures, but the second the malevolent aura came near her she felt hatred burn within her.

"Haruno Sakura… Look at me when I am speaking to you." A deep, slightly raspy and definitely dark voice came from the doorway. The medic kept her eyes on her knees defiantly, refusing to give this man the satisfaction of knowing how scared and worried she was.

Apparently she didn't get that choice when she saw Madara's shoes in her line of vision, then felt the rough fabric of his gloves on her face as he forced her gaze upwards. Her expression was impassive though her eyes sparkled with tears, and she could see the amusement glinting in the man's eye. "I said _look at me_. You will show me respect or I will beat it into you."

"I wouldn't respect you if you were the fucking saviour of the earth," she snarled, eyes narrowing before she felt the crack of his hand against her cheek. She gasped out in pain but forced back the tears, returning her gaze to him with an angry fire behind her eyes.

He seemed amused by that. "Don't make me do it again, _Sakura_." She hated the way he said her name. He didn't have the right to call her that, to touch her, to keep her here, nothing. If only she could use her chakra…

"Now, to get down to business." Madara's spine straightened as he pulled another two chairs up, one directly in front of her and one slightly to the side, turned to face her. "Sasuke, sit."

There was a shuffle of slightly awkward feet and Sasuke sat with a grunt on the angled chair, his face impressively bruised and his ankle so swollen he couldn't wear his sandals. She couldn't help but admire her handiwork with a smirk, somewhat proud of the fact that the 'Great Uchiha Sasuke' was injured by the likes of her.

"Sakura, you will fix him, or there will be severe consequences." The smirk fell from her face as quick as it had came, lips thinning to a bloodless line.

"No," she said, much to the younger Uchiha's surprise. "No way in hell he's getting help from me."

Madara chuckled, leaning his elbows on his knees. "You will do it, Sakura, and then you will listen to what I have to say. If not I will kill you and use your clearance papers to get into Konoha, and crumble it from the inside."

Sakura paled, lips parting in silent horror.

"From your expression I can tell you don't want that, so why don't you just be a good little medic and heal him? I'll let your wrists go, but if you make one false move I'll do something I certainly won't regret and you won't like. Got it?"

She nodded, and held out her hands. Just as Kisame had done before, the markings burned an eerie blue before the cuffs fell to the floor with a clatter. The kunoichi flexed her fist before rearing it back and punching towards him, only to have the chakra-enhanced blow blocked and her hand caught with little effort. The tingle of chakra, blistering and dark, scalded across the back of her hand, and it didn't even take a second for the pain to set in.

A pained scream tore from her throat as her body burned, the heat of that press becoming unbearable for the young medic. She couldn't see, couldn't feel—all she could do was cry out and beg for it to stop as she felt her bones melt within her body, blood sear and boil beneath her skin, lungs start to collapse from the effort it took to cry out and beg.

She couldn't take this, just couldn't last with this kind of pain; it was indescribable, everywhere, _everything_… Sakura had never hurt like this before.

It all lasted a but a moment, and the pink-haired medic found herself blinking back into consciousness, her side pressed against the floor and the back of her hand still pounding from Madara's touch. She gasped for breath as her vision blurred, taking a moment to settle her blood and shaking hands before slowly sitting up.

"I told you that you wouldn't like it, Sakura." Madara's voice came from above her, and she quickly realized that she had fallen from her chair onto the floor. Wiping hot tears from her face she stood fully, sitting back down into her chair.

"Give me your leg, Sasuke. I'll start there."

Her voice was so soft he barely heard it, but the nuke-nin complied and raised the broken appendage onto her lap. Emerald eyes were dark and somewhat dull as she began to assess the wound, fingers a pale green as she probed the area. The kunoichi remained quiet for a long time before speaking. "Why did you summon me?"

Madara smirked behind the mask. "As you know, I brought you here under pretense of having you examine and treat a patient. That much is not a lie and though it is not supposed to be little Sasuke here, you did injure him and he has a job to do for me, since I took care of him after he defeated his brother."

Sakura saw her ex-team mate wince discreetly, but simply nodded in reply. "So who is it that needs healing?"

"That will have to wait, as I am not finished yet," he chided, though the tone was more mocking than punitive. "I would rather discuss the terms once you have healed Sasuke, so be quick."

If she had the gall to sass him she would have told the elderly man to go fuck himself, but instead cracked the bone back in place without warning, eliciting a groan of pain from her so-called 'patient'. The sound didn't faze her and she set about knitting the bone, not bothering to take away the pain.

Sasuke wasn't exactly one to complain, but this was _painful_. If not for the fact he was in awe of what she was actually doing he probably would have whined aloud, but at the moment he was studying her expression, the set of her hands as she focused. What had happened to the weak girl he used to know? Now she kicked ass and took names, and could heal in the same breath. Why had she hidden all this potential? She wouldn't have been half as annoying if she had actually ignored him and trained.

His train of thought was broken, however, when he felt a slap on his ankle. "Lean forward. Your nose is next."

She took his nose in her hands as he leaned towards her, wincing at the sudden pressure put on it. It didn't take very long for her to gauge the damage and crack it back into place without so much as a warning, causing his eyes to sting for a moment.

"Gonna cry, you big baby?" Sakura hissed, locking her eyes on his. "I thought you were tougher than that."

She could see the surprise in his eyes, ignoring the "Hn." Sasuke gave in response. A little bit of chakra leaked into her fingers as she healed the remaining injury, leaving his face smooth and perfect as always. Sakura scanned her handiwork for a moment before tweaking his nose, earning herself a scowl from the Uchiha. "All done."

"Good. Sasuke, leave and get started on your mission."

The newly-healed Uchiha stood and grumbled his reply, walking out of the cave and through the curtain that served as a makeshift door. Bottle-green eyes returned back to the man in front of her as slim arms crossed over her chest,.Something black on the back of her hand caught her eye, and she nearly cried aloud when she saw the swirling seal there. Fury built up within the kunoichi, but she contained it, keeping her icy façade as she regarded the masked man with a curt nod.

"Now that we're alone, I can get more in-depth with you about my terms," he began, leaning back against his chair, though still keeping his single Sharingan eye locked on hers own vibrant green gaze.

"Your patient is critically ill and very valuable to me, and I will do just about anything to get him well, which is why you are here. I have heard of your prowess, Haruno Sakura, as the Hokage's apprentice. I expect that you should be able to get him fully healed within the three months I have allotted through the mission scroll, and no more—though if more time is taken to make sure he is in peak condition, rest assured I will compensate."

"Does that mean you'll actually be paying me?" Sakura asked, her tone flat.

"Yes, it does." He leaned forwards. "You see, I can't have your little friends coming along and destroying everything that I've been creating. You know who I am and that will be easily remedied, but if I do not pay you and simply return you the village will send out a party looking for this client and demanding payment. Therefore, I will be paying you in full once you have completed everything I have asked."

Her eyes hardened. "Why should I help you? I know you're planning something against Konoha, and I want no hand in this."

Madara laughed, patting her hair as if she were a simply child and had asked for a treat before dinner. "No, you _will_ help me, or I'll lure your precious friend Naruto here, and extract him before you can even blink."

He saw her eyes glimmer with tears, and knew he had hit the jackpot. "On top of that, I will level your precious village—a simple feat that I'm sure can be accomplished with a good Henge and a few well-placed spies. Besides, it's not like you want to die, is it? I promise I won't kill you if you do this for me, Sakura."

She took a long, quiet moment to think, turning over the options in her mind. There was too much at stake if she said no, and that meant that her immediate answer should be a yes… Besides, there was always the chance to escape, or simply drag out the mission for ages and bring Konoha right to this bastard's door.

A few moments after she nodded, short pink locks swaying and covering her guilty, pained eyes.

She heard, rather than saw, him smile. "Excellent. Now, would you like to meet your patient?"

"I suppose I don't have a choice," she replied coolly, standing and smoothing her medic's skirt despite the itching pain in her hand.

The Akatsuki nodded and stood as well, crooking a finger for her to follow before heading out of this portion of the cave.

As she followed, the kunoichi briefly wondered just how big this thing was. Enough for a bathroom, a cell-ish-thing for her, this room, the one that Sasuke must be staying in, and now her patient's… There were so many turns that Sakura was surprised her captor didn't get lost, because she most certainly was. If she had thought escape was impossible before, she knew for sure it was now.

It didn't take long for Madara to stop, lifting a reddish curtain over his head and pushing her inside first, giving her time to scan the cavernous space in the dim light.

She blinked a few times as she tried to adjust to the flickering, golden light. There was a table, a couple of chairs, a dresser, and then an angled bed in the far corner… It seemed empty until she squinted, and saw a tangle of inky locks splayed over a bloodstained pillow. The figure hadn't stirred when they entered, and Sakura knew that if they were associated with Madara they had to be shinobi… This man must be truly ill for him not to hear her purposeful footfalls.

She didn't realize Madara was moving over to the bed and had gestured for her to come as well. Something about this undoubtedly didn't bode well for her, but she followed with some hesitation.

The man on the bed seemed to awaken, and she could hear the harsh rattling of his lungs as she drew nearer, the rasp of his breath as it passed his lips. Her trained medical ear could hear the irregular heartbeat and almost feel the sickness radiating off him… He was covered in cuts, burns and bruises, yes, but that was something the body could handle easily. He was thin as a rail, what was once tight muscle definition now fading as he died before her eyes.

How long had this man been sitting like this? She may not want to be here but seeing someone so sickly did pull at her heartstrings, even if they were an enemy.

She realized that she hadn't been given a name yet, but instead of looking to her 'boss', her gaze travelled along the pale ghost of a man that was in front of her. He was sitting up now, and as her eyes followed the lines of his body upwards, it began to grow clearer. His body type was very familiar, as was the colour of his hair and the way it fell. She swallowed hard as fear began to trickle in and she looked up at his face, first at his parched lips, the chiselled jaw line and deep diagonal marks that signified that he hadn't slept in years… But it wasn't that which clued her into his identity.

No, instead it was the way his eyes bored into hers: the crimson of his Mangekyou Sharingan, the heavy black lashes that cast shadows over his hallowed cheeks. There was no mistaking who he was now… A dead man, someone whom she had hated and feared all her life as a shinobi.

Uchiha Itachi.

* * *

**A/N: DUNDUNDUUUUUUUN. I promise they'll interact next chapter, but as this is my last day of school this means updates are going to be soooooo sloooooow for the next eight to ten weeks. I'm really sorry about that, but busy summer. D:**

**Reviews = love.**


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